Plus-size model Robyn Lawley has defied ideals of “thinness equals beauty” to star on the world’s most covetable magazine covers and ad campaigns, and now she is taking on the plus-size swimwear market.
Sydney native Robyn Lawley, 24, has teamed up with Bond-Eye Australia to launch a collection of bikinis and one pieces available in U.S. sizes 8 to 18, designed specifically for fashionable women with curves.
“I swim almost daily, and I found most swimwear that came in my size to be boring and unflattering with no real fashion elements,” she told Refinery 29.
“I also couldn’t find any bikinis that supported my bust in the surf, or had a high enough rise in the stomach section to be flattering, so the idea was born from my own necessity and grew from there.”
Robyn Lawley, who was the first plus-size model to star in a Ralph Lauren campaign and in the pages of Vogue Australia, hopes that Robyn Lawley Swimwear, which ranges in price from $140 to $200, will be “the go-to brand for swimwear for all women”.
“For this first collection, I decided to start in a size range that 80% of women live between,” she explained.
“We will add sizing according to the feedback we receive and we are really hoping the demand is there.”
With plenty of swimwear experience under her belt (most recently her curves modeled H&M’s plus-size swim collection), Robyn Lawley said that the collection’s sizing is “true” for every swimsuit.
“Regular swimwear brands tend to be very small fit, and you often find yourself going up one or two sizes to be comfortable. This is not the case with my line,” she explained.
With a touch of retro, glamour and “urban edge”, the flattering collection is peppered with Robyn Lawley’s own personality.
“My dragon fruit one-piece was inspired by my love of food,” she said, referring to her well-documented infatuation with cooking.
When she is not gracing magazine covers, the six-foot-two-inch model writes a food blog, Robyn Lawley Eats – a side hobby that has been praised by the fashion industry as leading the way for a more positive body image.
Despite the fact that 50% of women wear a U.S. size 14 or larger, designers routinely cater to sizes 14 or smaller, and Robyn Lawlely hopes to be the catalyst to change that.
Robyn Lawley told Good Morning America last year: “I genuinely want companies to take notice and start being more realistic about who their customer really is. I hope to keep breaking down those barriers.”
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